We hear a lot about government transparency in policy debates these days, but very rarely in the context of voter registration. Project Vote hopes to change that. Voter registration transparency is essential for protecting the rights of voters and ensuring a fair and just democratic system.

History demonstrates that election officials do not always comply with voter registration laws and put all eligible applicants on the voter rolls. We also find that voters are sometimes removed from the rolls through opaque and error-ridden procedures. Fair access to records is vital to ensuring that states are not using arbitrary or politically-motivated criteria for rejecting applicants or purging voters in secret.

This is why the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) requires public disclosure of voter registration activities: to encourage accountability, to help identify and stop inaccurate voter list maintenance programs, and to educate voters on how to complete applications and remain on the rolls.

Secretary of State Bennett and State Agencies on Notice for Violations of Federal Law

August 6, 2014

PHOENIX, AZ — Citing clear evidence that numerous low-income Arizona residents have been denied the opportunity to register to vote, the League of Women Voters of Arizona and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) sent official notice today to Secretary of State Ken Bennett, as well to the heads of three Arizona public assistance agencies (the Department of Economic Security, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System, and the Department of Health Services), that the State is violating the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA).

Until recently, little has been known about the political participation of LGBT individuals. Historically, most of the national surveys and polls about registration and voting have failed to ask identifying questions on sexual orientation, making it difficult for researchers to track down participation trends among this population. In recent years this situation has begun to change, however, as more and more polls and surveys have collected data on political behavior among the LGBT population.

In this new research memo, Political Participation of LGBT Americans, Project Vote Political Scientist Vanessa M. Perez reviews and summarizes the findings of recent research, and identifies important gaps in our knowledge about LGBT participation.